


In A Heartbeat

by jasperclay



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Friends to Lovers, Heartbeats, M/M, Out of Character, Steampunk, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:40:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasperclay/pseuds/jasperclay
Summary: Steampunk AU.In which Lance is an animatronic technician who is friends with Keith, an animatronic.Lance sprains his ankle at work and Keith helps him out. When Lance offers to do a routine checkup on Keith's internal processor, the boys discover that Keith may not be who he thinks he is...
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	In A Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> A couple things.  
> 1, This is kind of OOC ... sorry about that.  
> 2, I tried my best to incorporate elements of a 'steampunk' style world but I feel like that didn't really translate, so feel free to envision your own 'steampunk' world!  
> 3, This is my first story I'm posting on here! Feel free to leave constructive criticism, I'm always looking to improve my writing ^u^

“Lance!” Keith’s clear voice broke the silence of the dark street, startling Lance.  
“What took so long, were you in sleep mode or something?” Lance fumed, limping up to a standing position as well as he could. He held his satchel out to a confused Keith expectantly, who took it and placed it around his torso.  
“No, you’re just all the way in the industrial zone, man. I was on my way back from the market, so I was basically twice as far as I’d normally be from you,” Keith retorted, adjusting Lance’s satchel uncomfortably. “Jesus, what do you have in this thing? Bricks?”  
“I was assigned work on that new animatronic glitch that’s been going around. There's a lot of paperwork. Don’t worry, it only affects updated animatronics, so it won’t go near your rusty gears.” Lance teased. Keith scoffed.  
“Then tell me, pencil-pusher, how’d you break your ankle?”  
“I fell, and I think it's only sprained.” Lance said. Keith raised an eyebrow.  
“Where’d you fall, off your chair? You're a desk jockey.”  
“Just take me home, you damn robot.” Lance grumbled. Keith shrugged, leaning down to haul Lance off his feet, tossing him unceremoniously over his shoulder. Lance sputtered, bracing his hands on the back of Keith’s chestplate. He removed his hands when he felt Keith chuckle.  
“Stop feeling me up, man.”  
“Uh – sorry,” Lance coughed, face reddening. “Let me down, it’s just a sprain. I can walk somewhat on my own.” Keith obliged, putting Lance down carefully before placing an arm tentatively around his waist in support. They continued walking.  
“Do you want me to come in with you or can you treat your ankle yourself?” Keith asked turning his head to look at Lance. Unaware, Lance looked at him and their noses brushed. Lance quickly looked away, pretending to scan the street around them.  
“N-no, I’m fine, I just…leave it alone, right?” Lance said. Keith laughed and shook his head.  
“No way, you’re going to screw it up permanently like that,” he chuckled. “I’m definitely coming in with you.” Lance shrugged in defeat.

~~~~~~

Keith carefully maneuvered Lance to lean on the wall next to his front door before bringing Lance’s satchel to his front and searching for the key. Lance’s chest rose and fall heavily, the last few blocks having been uphill. His ankle didn’t help things.  
“Wait, I’ve got it here.” Lance said, handing Keith the key from his pocket. Keith unlocked the front door, standing aside for Lance to enter. When he didn’t, Keith leaned down and picked him up again, this time bridal style. Lance wasn’t sure if he was grateful for the lack of manhandling or embarrassed that this action caused his face to turn red. Keith put Lance down on his sofa, kneeling to elevate his ankle on a pillow. He looked up to find Lance staring at him.  
“What?” Keith asked, tilting his head. “Something wrong?”  
“No, it’s just…Your movements. They’re so lifelike.” Lance started. Emboldened by his tiredness and numb pain in his ankle, he reached out to touch Keith’s cheek. “If I didn’t know better, I could mistake you for a real human.” Keith’s gaze dropped and he pulled away from Lance’s touch.  
“Yeah, but I’m not,” Keith muttered. Familiar with Lance’s apartment, he grabbed bandages and an ice pack from the closet and kitchen. He also poured Lance a cup of water. Returning to the living area, he handed the glass to Lance and knelt next to Lance’s foot. He began to compress his ankle with the bandage.  
“Did I, uh, offend you?” Lance asked quietly, almost a whisper. Keith didn’t respond, so he tried sitting up. Keith put one hand squarely on his chest, preventing him from moving.  
“Stop, I’m trying to work here.” Keith mumbled, frowning. Lance put his own hand over Keith’s and lifted it, sitting up fully to face Keith.  
“I’m serious, was it what I said about your movements? I know you feel things, I was just remarking on how realistic—”  
“I said stop.” Keith pulled his hand away and finished tying the knot in the bandage. He sat down on the floor next to the couch. “You didn’t offend me, I’m not angry. And I do feel things, by the way.”  
“I know that, how else would you laugh at your own awful jokes?” Lance joked, nudging Keith’s shoulder. “Is something else wrong?” Keith fiddled with the hem of his shirt. After a brief moment of consideration, he spoke.  
“I’ve been feeling...off lately, like something’s wrong. I know how ‘running smoothly’ feels, and recently I’ve been getting these strange moments where my chest feels compressed and I can’t breathe. Like…I don’t know, like I’m overheating or something.” Keith tapped his fingers on his knee. “Maybe I need to get a system review done.”  
“Well, I can do a manual check here for any surface level problems. It might save you some time and money.” Lance offered, gesturing towards the room in the back that held his work bench. Keith shook his head.  
“I thought you only specialized in newer models, Lance. We’re the same age, so my processor was long out of date when you started school.”  
“Basic manual reviews are universal; the overall idea hasn’t changed. Besides, I won’t be messing with anything, I’m just looking for anything out of the ordinary. When’s the last time you had a review done?” Lance asked. Keith blinked, thinking.  
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a formal one done,” he started, furrowing his eyebrows. “Mr. Match always did them, and he never let me stay awake during the process. Something about it messing with his procedure?” Keith said, glancing back at Lance, whose expression was puzzled.  
“Your professor? That’s…weird. And usually all animatronics are kept running during checks. Are you sure?” Keith nodded. “Well, alright, buddy. Help me up, I’m running a basic check on you right now. Technician’s orders.”  
“Okay, sure,” Keith chuckled. “But watch your ankle, I don’t want you ruining my hard work.” Lance laughed at that, lifting himself off the couch and towards his workroom, steadying himself on Keith’s shoulder. When they were inside, Keith sat on the operating table. It was elevated enough that his feet didn’t reach the floor, so he swung his legs forwards and backwards. Lance, already seated on his workshop chair, wheeled over to the bench and laid his bag of tools next to Keith.  
“Okay, well…usually basic checks start with the internal processor, so…” Lance’s voice dropped off, gaze drifting down to the collar of Keith’s shirt. “You don’t have to strip or anything, you can just—” Lance cut himself off as Keith lifted the hem of his shirt and took it off, seemingly unbothered by the situation. Lance’s technical curiosity took over as he saw the cold metal of Keith’s torso leading up to the seam between the artificial skin beginning just below his collarbone. Keith was clearly an old-school model, modern animatronics had skin covering all the metal portions of—wait. Lance frowned.  
"That’s not right." Lance said.  
“You okay, man?” Keith asked. Lance nodded absentmindedly, hovering closer and placing a hand on the seam between metal and skin.  
“It’s like…the metal of your chestplate is over the artificial skin. That’s not normal, even for technology our age.” Lance said, leaning even closer. Keith unconsciously leaned forward into Lance’s touch.  
“Does that mean that something is—hey!” Keith jumped as Lance leaned forward and placed his ear on Keith’s chest.  
“Sorry, sorry, just…checking something.” Lance muttered apologetically. He stayed there for a brief minute. It felt like hours to Keith, his eyes darting seemingly everywhere but where Lance was.  
When Lance finally pulled away, it felt like a metaphorical and literal weight had been lifted off Keith’s chest. He looked back up at Lance, reading his expression. Lance’s usually confident demeanor had morphed into a blank stare. Keith’s feeling of relief dissolved into panic.  
“Is there something wrong with me? Because I just felt that thing again, it felt like I was going to overheat.” Keith started, placing a hand on his own chest. “I knew it, I’m going to be in a junkyard by next week, Lance, I—” Lance stopped him by grabbing his hand.  
“Keith. I felt a heartbeat.” Lance stared at Keith in bewilderment. “You have a heartbeat. No animatronic has that.” Keith blinked.  
“What are you saying? What does that mean?” Keith asked.  
“I’m—I don’t know, I’m going to have to look into your processor to see what’s going on. Give me a minute.” Lance replied, digging in his tool bag for the materials to open the chestplate. Turning back to Keith, he undid the screws on the side and tugged at the piece of metal. Keith winced. With another pull from Lance, the chestplate came undone, revealing a pale expanse of skin underneath it. Lance set down his screwdriver, mouth falling open.  
“Keith, you—”  
“Yeah, I see it.”  
“What—”  
“I have no idea.”  
“So are you—"  
“I don’t know.” Keith shifted uncomfortably. Having the chestplate removed lifted a pain he hadn’t even noticed was there. He felt more mobile, less…robotic. He stood up, stretching his back. Lance was still seated, his eyes trailing Keith as he walked around the room.  
“Human.” Lance’s voice cut through the tense silence. Keith froze.  
“But I can’t be, Mr. Match said—” Lance stood up, cutting Keith off.  
“Mr. Match also said that you couldn’t be awake during checks, so I don’t know what that man’s hiding.” Lance said firmly. To emphasize his point, he tried standing, but started off on the wrong ankle. His knee buckled, and Keith caught him with a steady arm around his waist. He helped Lance stand, keeping his arm where it was until they were standing chest to chest. Lance placed a hand on where Keith’s pulse point should be and held his breath.  
“There it is. A pulse.” He said breathlessly. Keith nodded, as wordless as Lance was. Keith brought his hand up to Lance’s, leaning closer until their noses were almost brushing. Lance looked away, cheeks flushed. Keith nudged him back with his other hand.  
“I guess this explains a lot of things. Food intake. Sleep. Hydration.” Keith started, thumb rubbing circles on Lance’s cheek. Lance’s hands were trembling. “It explains other things too. Feelings. Desires—” Keith began to joke before Lance cut him off by surging forward and kissing him. Keith’s eyes widened and he let out a huff of surprise before closing his eyes and melting into the kiss.  
When Lance drew back, his hand was still resting on Keith’s chest and he was slightly out of breath. He smirked at the slightly shocked look on Keith’s face.  
“Glad you’re not a robot, then.” Lance joked.  
“God, me too.” Keith managed, before pulling him into another bruising kiss.


End file.
